# NoteBuddy vs CalenDraw

The clearest difference is rating: CalenDraw at 4.5 against NoteBuddy's 3.3. CalenDraw also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 22%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). NoteBuddy's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NoteBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CalenDraw sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CalenDraw holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CalenDraw has 3.1K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of NoteBuddy's written reviews are positive against 57% of CalenDraw's.

NoteBuddy ships an update every 3 months, CalenDraw every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 17, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NoteBuddy | CalenDraw |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebuddy-your-notes-buddy/id1453991185/reviews) | **[4.5 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calendraw-calendar-notes/id1500028479/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.2% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 14 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oleg Mueller](https://appshunter.io/developer/367875607) | [DataBeNice LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500028478) |

## What reviewers say

### NoteBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebuddy-your-notes-buddy/id1453991185)

This note-taking application offers a comprehensive suite of tools for organizing thoughts and ideas. It supports rich text formatting, image insertion, and freehand drawing. Features like folder organization and iCloud synchronization ensure your notes are accessible and secure.

**Highlights:** Rich text editing, Add images and drawings, Folder and subfolder support, iCloud synchronization, Backup feature, Apple Pencil support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NoteBuddy Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


### CalenDraw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calendraw-calendar-notes/id1500028479)

This app combines handwritten notes, drawings, and calendars in a single digital workspace. It allows for direct annotation on your calendar with a stylus, event management, and integration with other popular calendar and reminder services. Organize your thoughts and schedule visually.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes and drawings on calendar, Color-coded scheduling, Drag and drop event rescheduling, Keyboard event entry, Calendar and reminder integration, Full-text search, Customizable widgets

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CalenDraw Pro | $6.99 | per month |
| Pro Access | $9.99 | per year |
| CalenDraw Pro | $9.99 | per year |
| CalenDraw Pro | $19.99 | per year |
| CalenDraw Pro | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for organizing daily routine
- 👍 Great for planning and journaling
- 👍 Syncs well across devices
- 👍 Customizable writing tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy behavior, crashes, and data loss
- 🐛 Reminders not working as expected
- 🐛 Disappearing notes and entries
- 🐛 Laggy performance on some devices
- 🔍 Limited functionality in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Reminders showing up on wrong dates
- Calendar dates not aligning correctly
- Inability to delete task lists
- Keyboard getting stuck
- Pencil drawing functionality not working

**Requested features**

- Separate pages for notebooks and task lists
- Option to remove animations
- Ability to import photos/images
- Weekly and yearly calendar views
- Handwriting-to-text conversion


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NoteBuddy free?

NoteBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CalenDraw free?

CalenDraw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NoteBuddy or CalenDraw?

CalenDraw is rated higher. NoteBuddy averages 3.3 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while CalenDraw averages 4.5 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do NoteBuddy or CalenDraw have ads?

Neither NoteBuddy nor CalenDraw shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NoteBuddy or CalenDraw?

NoteBuddy ships an update every 3 months, and CalenDraw every 2 weeks. Most recently, NoteBuddy was updated on August 17, 2026 and CalenDraw on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*